Gettysburg Daily

John Wilkes Booth’s Escape #1 With Gettysburg LBG Mike Kanazawich

March 14, 2012

Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Michael Kanazawich is the author of the book Remarkable Stories of the Lincoln Assassination. He is standing near the Surratt Tavern in Clinton Maryland. Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Jim Clouse is holding a picture of Mary Surratt. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 8:00 AM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Michael Kanazawich is the host for this series on John Wilkes Booth’s Escape. Mike was born and raised in Oneonta, New York. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from Oneonta State University. He received his Master of Science degree in Environmental Geology from the University of Connecticut. Mike worked as a Geologist for eleven years before becoming a Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide in 1995. Michael Kanazawich is the author of the book Remarkable Stories of the Lincoln Assassination.

In today’s post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Mike Kanazawich explains to us the actions of John Wilkes Booth and David Herold at Surratt’s Tavern in what is now Clinton, Maryland. He filmed these segments on February 12, 2012, the 203rd birthday of President Abraham Lincoln.

This map shows us the locations taken of videos for the John Wilkes Booth’s Escape series. Videos #1-#3 were taken at the Surratt Tavern in what is now Clinton, Maryland. This map was created facing north at approximately 3:00 PM on Friday, March 9, 2012.

This map shows us a closer view of the locations taken of videos for the John Wilkes Booth’s Escape series. Videos #1-#3 were taken at the Surratt Tavern in what is now Clinton, Maryland. This map was created facing north at approximately 3:00 PM on Friday, March 9, 2012.

A closer view of Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Jim Clouse/Mary Surratt and Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Mike Kanazawich in front of Surratt’s Tavern located in what was Surrattsville, Maryland at the time of the Civil War. Following the hanging of Mary Surratt, the United States Post Office renamed the town Robeysville, due to the notoriety of the Surratt name. Robeysville was renamed Clinton in 1879. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 8:00 AM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

In Video #1 Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Michael Kanazawich is at Surratt’s Tavern in what is now Clinton, Maryland. He introduces us to the series on John Wilkes Booth’s escape, and provides some background on the Surratt Tavern. This view was taken looking northwest to southeast at approximately 8:00 AM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

An 1867 drawing of Surrattsville, Maryland (now Clinton, Maryland) looking south on the Brandywine Road. The Surratt Tavern is on the left. This view was drawn facing southeast for the March 9, 1867 edition of Harpers Weekly Magazine by Andrew McCallum. It is courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The Surratt Tavern is located along the Brandywine Road. In the distance is a green sign showing the intersection of the Brandywine Road and Piscataway Road. North of the intersection with Piscataway Road, Brandwine Road becomes Old Branch Road. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 8:00 AM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

Mary Elizabeth Jenkins Surratt (1823-1865) was the first woman to be executed by the United States federal government. This view was taken circa the 1860s.

Licensed Battlefield Guide Mike Kanazawich is standing on the porch of the Surratt Tavern. Licensed Battlefield Guide Jim Clouse is holding a photograph of David Herold. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 8:00 AM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

In Video #2 Licensed Battlefield Guide Michael Kanazawich describes tavern keeper John Lloyd’s encounter with David Herold and John Wilkes Booth at Surratt’s Tavern on the morning of April 15, 1865. This view was taken facing southeast to northwest to southeast at approximately 8:00 AM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

John Wilkes Booth (1838-1865) was born in Harford County, Maryland, the ninth of ten children. This view was taken circa the 1860s by Alexander Gardner and is courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Many Lincoln Assassination historians believe that David Edgar Herold’s (June 16, 1842 – July 7, 1865) job the evening of April 14, 1865 was to lead co-conspirator Lewis Powell to the home of Secretary of State William H. Seward. Powell attempted to kill Seward the night of April 14, 1865. Herold escaped, and assisted Booth on his escape into Maryland. This view was taken circa May, 1865 and is courtesy of the Library of Congress.

In Video #3 Mike Kanazawich informs us of John Wilkes Booth’s parting words to John Lloyd, and presents an overview of the Surratt Society. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 8:00 AM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

The entrance to the Surratt Tavern area from the parking lot. This view was taken facing north at approximately 8:00 AM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

There are two wayside exhibits along the sidewalk. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 8:00 AM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

The wayside exhibit on the right (south) describes the mood of some individuals in Maryland, and shows the escape route of John Wilkes Booth. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 8:00 AM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

The wayside exhibit on the left (north) provides background on the Surratt Tavern. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 8:00 AM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

Part of the last wayside exhibit that we showed provides a colorized view of the Surrattsville picture in the March 9, 1867 edition of Harpers Weekly. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 8:00 AM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

When the building that became the Surratt Tavern was constructed in 1852, its purpose was to be a middle-class farm/plantation home. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 8:00 AM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

Before the Civil War, the Surratt House also served as a tavern a hotel, a post office, and a sometime polling place. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 8:00 AM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

During the American Civil War, the Surratt House was a safehouse for the Confederate underground which had a strong presence in Southern Maryland. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 8:00 AM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

Mary Surratt’s husband, John Surratt, served as the Postmaster for Surrattsville until he died on either August 25, 1862 or August 26, 1862. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 8:00 AM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

Mary Surratt’s son, John Surratt Jr., served as the Postmaster for Surrattsville until November 17, 1863 (two days before Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address) when he was dismissed as Postmaster for disloyalty to the United States Government. Mary Surratt and her family moved to Washington, D.C. where she ran a boarding house and became acquainted with John Wilkes Booth.This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 8:00 AM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

Mary Surratt rented the Surratt Tavern to John M. Lloyd (1835-1892), who had been a Washington, D.C. policeman from the late 1850s until 1862. Lloyd rented the property from Mrs. Surratt for $500 a year. Note the historic marker in the foreground.This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 8:00 AM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

A closer view the historic marker.This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 8:00 AM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

To order a copy of Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Mike Kanazawich’s book, Remarkable Stories of the Lincoln Assassination, click here. This book cover was scanned facing north at approximately 9:30 AM on Friday, March 9, 2012.

To see other posts by Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guides,click here.